Quinnen Williams, step on down. Folorunso Fatukasi, opportunity is knocking. Nathan Shepherd, now is your chance.
The trade of Leonard Williams to the Giants will clear the way for these young defensive linemen to showcase their ability. Sunday against the Dolphins will be their first of many chances with extended playing time.
“It’s huge. You lose a guy like Leo, who’s playing a big percentage of snaps, that opens the door for guys like Foley and Shep and Q,” said veteran defensive lineman Henry Anderson, who is hopeful to return Sunday against the Dolphins after missing the past three games with a shoulder injury. “It’s a big opportunity and we definitely have the talent in the D-line room to fill that void. I’m excited to see them get to work.”
Leonard Williams received plenty of criticism for his lack of production, just two sacks in his past 18 games. But this week, teammates and coaches praised his play, citing his importance to the defense. It will be interesting to see how the Jets’ run defense fares without him — he was known for his value as a run-stuffer — and also how the inexperienced replacements fare with more reps. He often ate up blocks, freeing up teammates to make plays.
“There might be a frown or two on other guys’ faces because now they’re getting what he got,” defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. “Not only just from those types of things on how he occupied space, he was a very good leader behind the scenes, too.”
In his second season, Fatukasi has been a bright spot in limited playing time, producing 4.5 tackles for loss a year after he was inactive for all but one game.
Shepherd, the team’s third-round pick a year ago who was suspended for six games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, was placed on the active roster on Friday. A disappointment so far as a Jet, he has a lot to prove.
Then there is Quinnen Williams, the third-overall pick some experts had rated as the top player in the draft. He hasn’t made the impact envisioned, managing half of a sack and 16 tackles. An ankle injury kept him out of two September games, which obviously hasn’t helped his development. Defensive line coach Andre Carter described his season thus far as “slow, but steady.”
“Usually, especially with a rookie, you’re just trying to find a rhythm, whether it’s from a practice aspect or playing a game,” Carter said.
All three should be able to find that rhythm now. There will be more snaps, more chances to make plays. But, also, more responsibility.
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